When I woke again, a coral-haired woman in an airline uniform was gently informing me that we were about to touch down.

Annabeth's hair was a rats nest, Grover's little horns had put holes in the seat, but we all looked well rested.

"I can't believe it's almost 6 in the morning." Annabeth breathed. "We're so late."

"Not quite." I stated. Then I told them about the 'sister' who visited me last night.

Annabeth smiled. "Well, she's not wrong."

"We'll go up there with-"

"No." I broke Grover off from his sentence.

The two started to protest, but I held my hand up.

"I have to do this alone. You two need to get to camp and inform Chiron of everything. Just incase I don't come back down alive."

Annabeth nodded. "I understand. Let's hope you do come back, though. I have a feeling this wouldn't be our last time getting in trouble together."

We stayed silent as the plane landed. We stayed even more silent as we dodged the local media and crowds of bloggers looking to strike it rich on our story.

We hugged goodbye, and I set them off on a cab that would take them to Montauk. Then I turned and got in a cab, set on getting to the Empire State Building.

At first, I didn't recognise the cab driver. Then the guy opened the separator.

"Hey, kid. Heading home?"

I looked up at the rear view mirror and met the hazel eyes that belonged to a guy named Fred Jaigg.

"No, I'm actually going to Empire State."

Fred laughed a little. "Suddenly so high class?" He started down the airport road system. "Mom got a new job."

My heart dropped. "No… not really."

Fred stayed silent for a moment. "You know, you've been a little famous around here lately."

"The kidnapping? Yeah, I figured."

"Gabe's been lookin' for you too." Fred whistled. "He's been so p*ssed lately. Didn't help that the Bargain Mart fired him for the lil display you put up in L.A."

I frowned. "He portrayed me as a potential terrorist, what else was I supposed to do?"

"Don't worry, kid. I'd have done the same."

He took a turn.

I stayed silent, playing with the bracelet.

"Is mom home?"

Fred glanced back at me. "Yeah. She stopped by my place last night, bewildered. She were askin' for you. Claimed to not have remembered the last month or so. Why you askin?"

I looked up at him and noticed something I didn't before. A small tattoo on the back of his neck. A dove.

Fred was a buff dude. No buff dude I knew would have a dove tattoo.

Unless…

"I was just wondering. With all the crazy things happening right now."

Fred chuckled. "Must be crazy."

"Yeah, someone stole the bolt."

He nearly swerved off into a ditch.

"What the-"

"You're from Cabin 10, aren't you?"

"No idea what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me, you nearly swerved off the road."

"There was a cat in the way." He defended.

"You're Aphrodite's son." I exclaimed.

Fred glared at me. "Percy, don't try to-"

"So am I."

He blinked. The blinked again, even more confused.

"You are?"

I nodded. "I got claimed a couple of weeks ago."

I launched into my story. Why not? Fred had been chauffeuring me around since I was a toddler. He's been mom's friend since they were 5 years old. I could trust him.

When I finished, we were pulling up right in front of the door to the Empire State.

"Well kid, looks like you only have about 15 minutes. You better get going. Tell the doorman you need to get to the 600th floor"

"I'll wait for you."

"You don't have to."

"You're family, Perce." Fred turned to look at me directly. "Family means nobody gets left behind."

I smiled. "You've been watching too much Disney."

"Go up there and stop the potential war." Fred urged.

I opened the car door and slipped out in the cool morning air of 5:45 am. Then went to the doorman.

"I need to get to the 600th floor."

He looked down at me. "No such thing, kid."

I glared at him. "I said, I need to get to the 600th floor."

His eyes glazed over and he pulled out a gold key. "Put this into the emergency stop, twist left, and make sure no one is in the elevator with you." He instructed.

I smiled and took the key, then ran to the elevators.

People were getting on just as I got there. I sprinted in and held the door open.

"Sorry, you're going to have to wait." I instructed. "Security protocol."

The business men grumbled angrily at me to shut up.

"Get out of the elevator." I commanded. They left and I let the door shut.

I placed the key in the emergency stop and twisted left. The metal panel waved in my vision to reveal a blue button labeled 'Olympus - 600th floor.'

I pressed it.

The elevator started upwards. My stomach rolled at the motion.

Some weird music was playing in the speakers, the kind that could make me fall back asleep.

I tapped my foot and counted upwards softly. A minute passed. Then 2.

When I got to the number 167, the elevator door opened and I stumbled out onto a bridge only made for one person.

"Sh*t." I cursed, then paced down the walkway without looking down. There was no ridge to stop me if I fell.

The bolt sparked with purple electricity, which was harmless against my skin. I vaguely wondered if the bolt was designed to protect whoever was in possession of it.

I didn't pay attention to Olympus, I was too busy sprinting up to the Acropolis at the very top. By my estimation, I have less than 10 minutes to get the bolt back.

A nymph squeaked as I flew past her. I shouted an apology, then told everyone to move.

They did, wondering why a demigod would be running up the streets of the eternal city.

I passed temples, bakeries, parks, concerts, fountains, all of the as gorgeous as imaginable and beyond.

With 2 minutes to spare, I crashed through the doors of the throne room and collapsed in front of a hearth.

Someone cleared their throat. "You're late."

I looked up from the beanbag by the fire, probably placed there for tired mortals like me.

There were twelve thrones as tall as the one in the Underworld, but each one was unique. But two were occupied - A solid block of Platinum with etches of spiderweb lightning flickering across it and a simple sea captain throne covered in black netting.

Both of them were gods, I have yet to meet a goddess in person yet, but one radiated pure power while the other one was weaponless.

I think you can guess who the weaponless one was.

Poseidon and Zeus looked down at me, the former's expression more calm than the latter's.

Zeus looked like the big daddy of all the baddies. Covered in a black beard and sleek black hair, his copper skin was barely visible. His eyes were bright blue, like contacts had been placed on his iris. Instead of the toga Hades had decided to appear in, Zeus wore a lawsuit suit, his dusty blue tie as starchy stiff as his white shirt and grey jacket.

Poseidon, on the other hand, looked like a Bahama's vacationer. His shirt was a button up covered in pictures of alcoholic drinks. His shorts were khaki, exposing hairy legs. Instead of the loafers Zeus had, Poseidon was wearing flip flops with tridents on the sides. He too had a black beard and black hair, but it looked like it went through a hurricane and he hadn't bothered to fix it. Green eyes that matched mine glittered with amazement at his brother.

"He was not late, dear brother. He was merely taking his time. After all, it's still the 21st in Hawaii."

Zeus grumbled something about the state I'd rather to repeat.

Then he glared at me, like I was doing something wrong by lying on a beanbag.

I sat up, still breathing heavily.

"Don't glare at me, I just ran 3 miles to get here. You're gonna have to wait."

Under normal circumstances, I assumed Zeus would have zapped me for the disrespect, but Poseidon stopped him.

"He got the bolt here on time, brother. Let him rest for a little."

"The least he could do is bow…. Are you positive he's not yours? He acts like you."

I pierced my lips and ignored him.

The gods waited patiently for a minute as I caught my breath. Then I stood up and paced over to the gods. I bowed before Zeus.

"That's better," The sky god grumbled.

I got up to bow to Poseidon, but he waved me off.

"Tell us your story."

I did. I told them everything. Every detail I had to give. From the day Alecto attacked to the moment I got on the elevator.

They listened to everything. I told them the dreams, the small feelings I had. The previous suspicions, the sass. The anger I had when people mistook me for Poseidon's son. The sass. Everything.

I pulled the bracelet off my wrist and held it out towards Zeus. He opened his palm and the wood flew, growing into the bolt the closer it got. Pretty soon it was a staff as long as the throne made of pure purple lightning.

"I sense you are telling the truth, boy." Zeus kept his gaze on me. "But if Ares was behind this-"

"He wasn't." I interrupted, causing the bolt to flare red. "He had a moment of hesitation. Someone else was behind it. Something in that pit."

Poseidon kept his eyes on Zeus, his hand on his trident that he summoned. His symbol of power, in my opinion, was better and prettier. It was a sleek coppery green metal trident with a pearl where the middle spear met the other two.

"Something older than the gods." I said. "The Crooked One."

Zeus looked down at me with a sneer hinting on his lips. "We will speak no more of this."

Poseidon went to shoot down his brother's statement, but decided against it. Zeus stood up, straightening his jacket.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important matters to attend to."

In a flash of lightning, he was gone.

Tired, I turned to leave.

Someone grabbed my shoulder.

"Percy?" Poseidon said. I turned around to found the god had shrank to normal size. He looked more like me than he did a god - Polynesian features, bright sweet green eyes, black wavy hair. "Let me escort you down to the mortal world."

I almost told him I could do it by myself, but I remembered something from ages ago.

The memory at Cabin 3.

The blood of two of us.

Also, I had no idea where I was supposed to go because I wasn't paying attention. Kinda was in a hurry.

I nodded and we walked out of the throne room together.

"I suppose your anger towards me is just," He said, using his trident as a walking stick.

"Maybe a little." I admitted. "I just didn't understand why they thought that."

Poseidon looked at me. "Well they are half true."

I stopped in my tracks. "What?"

Poseidon stopped too. "You aren't my son, not directly. Your great great grandmother was a demigod, a daughter of mine. The last of my demigod children."

The information took a moment to sink in.

"You're my missing ancestor?"

The sea god nodded. "You're the first male heir to that line."

My mouth hung open. "That… actually makes a lot more sense."

He chuckled. "Your mother knew about her heritage. Your grandmother knew too. So did your great grandmother…"

"I think I get it."

He smiled, looking human. "Your grandmother is still alive to. She told me to say hi if I ever met you."

"Grandma… You mean… the one they never found?"

"She almost died but Rhode found her and brought her to my palace in the Atlantic. She didn't want to leave Sally but…"

"She had to." He nodded at my response.

"Sally never went to camp, even though I advised her too. She caught the attention of my… aunt. Your mother."

I cringed at the thought. "This is a little…"

"Messy for a family set up?" Poseidon offered. I nodded. "Don't worry, gods don't have DNA. At least, not completely. When Ichor mixes with mortal, human, blood, the demigod inherent part of the god. You would never be able to date your godly-side siblings because it would be like dating your mortal siblings."

I gagged. "Okay, enough."

We started walking again.

"So my powers. The ones with the water… That wasn't the Naiads and Nereids helping me?"

"Sort of. They can resist, but you've got the blood of two gods, both with ties to the sea."

"You, because it's your domain, and mum… She was born out of seafoam."

His eyes glittered.

"Very funny trick with the pearls. Highly appreciated." I glanced slightly at him, but there was a smile on my face.

"I pride myself on that moment." He admitted. "Might have gotten a picture."

"Don't ever let my sisters see it."

He held his hands up. "Never would I ever."

We passed by a concert being held by 9 very beautiful women. The music stopped and everyone watched us pass by. I heard someone say 'Hail the great son of Love'.

When we turned the corner, the music started again. I felt immediately self conscious.

"Don't worry, they do that everytime someone walks past with a god," Poseidon assured me. "I think I saw Euterpe checking you out."

My ears turned red. "Those were the Nine Muses?"

He nodded. "They do concerts all the time. Maybe one day you'll get to see one, they really like Aphrodite's children."

We continued through the city.

Pretty soon, we were back at the one person bridge. 20 feet away from me was the golden elevator that will take me back home.

"You have been very brave, Percy. You have cleared my name, with the help of others. I know it is unjust to ask for more, but do two things for me when you get back down there."

Poseidon pulled a blue shell necklace and a silver key from his shirt pocket.

"Give this to your mother," He handed me the necklace. "She'll know who it's from."

"And the key?" I asked. He smiled.

"I believe you have a connection to my cabin. If you ever get tired of staying in Cabin 10, you can always stay in cabin 3."

My heart started racing. "Really?"

He nodded. "This is the sky to the underwater hotel… what's left of it anyways. Show this to Chiron, and he shouldn't have a problem with you staying there."

He handed the key to me and I started towards the elevator.

Then I stopped.

"The Crooked One." I said. "You know who that is, don't you."

Poseidon's face turned grim. "Zeus said-"

"I know what he said… But… I just need to know." I said. "Is… It's my uncle, isn't it?"

Poseidon stood in silence for a moment, then nodded. "I can't tell you anymore, and I expect you to do the same."

"But-"

"Zeus has his reasons. We must hope that this information you brought us stays secret, at least until we find out more information. His uprising would cause more chaos than we need right now. Keep this a secret, Perseus."

With that, the god waved his hand and evaporated into mist.

I turned back and walked to the elevator, which was open and ready to take me home.